CHAPTER 226: CHAPTER 227 THE WITCHES’ REALM (2)

My eyelids fluttered open, heavy with the weight of exhaustion. The journey from No Man’s Land to the Witches’ realm had taken a toll on me.

I didn’t even realise when I had fallen asleep last night. I dragged myself down the bed, and I looked around but there was no one in the room.

"Where have they gone?" I muttered under my breath.

I caught the paper placed on the table from the corner of my eye. Getting closer, I noticed something was written on it. "We are outside, right by the door. Call us back inside when you are done dressing."

I bit my lower lip, smiling. "That’s so thoughtful of them."

After I had taken my shower and changed my clothes. I walked to the door and opened it. Damon and Alaric rested their backs on the wall while standing. Mr. Four eyes sat on the ground and Rhydian stood straight.

"Good morning," I said from behind the door. My wet hair clung to my skin framing my face.

Damon turned to me. "Good, eat something and we’ll be on our way." He pulled himself from the wall, walking inside the room.

"Good morning, Aeris." Rhydian flashed me a warm smile. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded my head. "What about you? Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did."

Mr. Four eyes cleared his throat, before walking past us. "Good morning too." I glared at him.

...

Immediately after we finished our breakfast, we set off on our journey.

We made our way downstairs, ready to leave the inn and continue our journey through the witches’ realm.

Just as we were about to leave the inn, Rhydian walked over to the desk to return the key.

The lady from last night was seated behind the counter, sipping from a steaming cup of something that smelled faintly of mint and herbs. She didn’t look up until we reached the door.

"Leaving already?" she asked, her voice was calm but carried a hint of amusement. "I thought you folks might stick around longer."

Rhydian offered her a small smile. "We’ve got somewhere to be."

She hummed, setting down her cup. "Unfortunately, no one’s going anywhere."

We all froze.

"What do you mean?" Damon asked, stepping forward slightly.

The woman leaned back in her chair, clearly in no rush to explain. "Didn’t anyone tell you? The Autumn Bloom Festival begins today, and it is a three-day celebration. During those times a warded barrier is placed around the village. No one enters, and no one leaves."

"Warded barriers?" Rhydian echoed, his tone tightening.

She nodded. "They are protective enchantments. It’s part of our tradition. Once the opening ritual begins, the boundary locks in until the closing fire is lit. Even an ant couldn’t slip past it, that’s how tight it is. You’re lucky you made it in last night."

Alaric cursed under his breath.

"Is there no way around it?" Rhydian asked, trying to stay polite.

The woman shrugged. "Unless you want to risk upsetting an entire realm of witches, I’d say you’d best enjoy the festival and wait it out."

I glanced between the others. No one looked thrilled, it was like bad news.

Mr. Four eyes broke the silence. "So... we’re stuck here?"

"For three days," the lady confirmed, picking her cup back up.

I folded my arms. "This can’t be a coincidence."

Damon’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t say a word.

"Is it really that serious?" I asked. "What happens if we try to leave anyway?"

"You won’t get far," she replied smoothly. "The wards won’t hurt you, but they’ll spin you right back around. And trust me, no one wants to make a scene during festival season."

Rhydian sighed and turned to the rest of us. "Looks like we’re staying."

Mr. Four Eyes let out a soft groan. "Can we at least find out what this festival is about?"

The woman smiled at that. "Autumn Bloom honors the season of change. New beginnings, old endings. It’s the most sacred time in our calendar. There’ll be food, music, enchantment dances... even the trees will join in... Just don’t touch anything that glows red."

That last part made me frown. "Why?"

She grinned. "Touch it and you’ll see."

The way she grinned at me, sent shivers down my spine. Knowing that I would be staying for a few more days didn’t sit well with me even though I knew it would make it easier for me to search for Golden’s home.

And just like that, she turned back to her papers, leaving us all standing there.

"I don’t trust her," Damon muttered, his gaze darkened. He looked like he would be anywhere but here.

"She wouldn’t lie," Rhydian said. "Witches follow rules, and their festivals are bound to be strict. If she says we can’t leave, she’s right."

"So now what?" I asked, looking at the others.

Alaric shrugged. "Might as well make the most of it. There could be worse places to be stuck."

"Three days," Damon repeated, his voice low, as if he was mentally preparing himself for those days.

I looked up at him. He didn’t seem angry, but his body was... tense.

"Let’s head back to the room for now," Rhydian suggested. "We can decide how to spend the day once we know what we’re dealing with."

As we turned back toward the stairs, I couldn’t shake the feeling in my chest. The lady’s words echoed in my mind.

’New beginnings... old endings.’

....

After a few hours of being cooped up inside our room, we decided to see what the festival was really about.

We stepped out into the street, and the festival had already begun to unfold. The air was thicker now with magic and spells.

Soft, golden lights hovered above the cobblestones like floating embers, and the breeze carried the scent of herbs and roasted nuts.

A smile formed on seeing how free and happy the witches were. Some of them had a hood over their head, while others dressed normally.